1. Field
The inventive concept relates to a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) peer-to-peer (P2P) communication terminal device and a Wi-Fi P2P communication method thereof. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to a terminal device capable of Wi-Fi P2P communication during a Wi-Fi station mode, and a communication method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, Wi-Fi serving as wireless communication technology is widely used throughout the world under the 802.11 standard of the Institute Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is being used in various devices such as notebooks, portable phones, console game machines, smart televisions (TVs), MPEG Audio Layer-3 (MP3) players, cameras, and printers. Wi-Fi communication is performed using an access point (AP) as the center. Thus, the Wi-Fi communication in various devices can be performed only when a connection to an AP serving as a network AP is established.
On the other hand, the, Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) has recently published a new standard referred to as Wi-Fi Direct® to deliver data through a direct connection between wireless devices. The Wi-Fi Direct technology is implemented in portable devices such as TVs, notebooks, printers, and cameras, and mobile terminals. The Wi-Fi Direct® technology provides a base for enabling content and services between devices to be used through direct communication between the devices without the use of separate equipment such as an AP or router. Accordingly, in the related industry, technical development activities for satisfying a Wi-Fi Direct® standard are actively ongoing.
In a strict sense, Wi-Fi Direct® is a brand name and is thus a trademark. Technical standards for Wi-Fi Direct® are collectively referred to as Wi-Fi P2P. Thus, communication technology through a direct connection between Wi-Fi terminal devices used herein is referred to as Wi-Fi P2P.
Wi-Fi P2P is technology for a direct connection between Wi-Fi terminal devices. In the Wi-Fi P2P technology, supporting direct communication between the Wi-Fi terminal devices is added in a state in which many functions of the existing Wi-Fi standard are maintained. In the Wi-Fi P2P technology, P2P communication between the Wi-Fi terminal devices can be provided merely by upgrading a software function of a device mounted on an existing Wi-Fi chip. Accordingly, the Wi-Fi terminal device, which is operating in a station mode by establishing a connection to a network through an AP, can perform Wi-Fi P2P communication simultaneously with the station mode operation, and a Wi-Fi P2P standard supports the above-described operation.
On the other hand, for Wi-Fi P2P communication to be performed by the Wi-Fi terminal device simultaneously with an operation in the Wi-Fi station mode, it is necessary to perform a process of interrupting a connection to an AP and searching for whether there is an external device capable of Wi-Fi P2P communication in the periphery. Accordingly, when the Wi-Fi P2P communication is intended while an operation is performed in the Wi-Fi station mode, the performance of the operation in the Wi-Fi station mode may be degraded.
Thus, there is a need for technology capable of minimizing the degradation of performance of a Wi-Fi station mode operation when a Wi-Fi terminal device, which is operating in a Wi-Fi station mode, waits for a Wi-Fi P2P connection so as to establish the Wi-Fi P2P connection with an external device.